Mexican & Latin American Law

Course Information

Registration Information

Meeting Times

Day Time Location
MON 3:30 - 5:20 pm TNH 2.124

Evaluation Method

Type Date Time Location
Final exam May 14, 2009 8:30 am A-Z in 2.123

Description

I. Course Overview The objective of this class is to provide you with the vocabulary and information you will need to communicate with Spanish-speaking lawyers and clients and to help you understand their different legal cultures. Spanish differs from country to country in Latin America. You will learn some of the subtleties that differentiate how legal Spanish is used throughout Latin America, and the way to communicate with Spanish-speaking lawyers and clients who do not speak any or very limited English. The class will be taught 50% in English and 50% in Spanish. Therefore, ability to read, write and converse in Spanish is required. You will learn not only to communicate with clients and lawyers from Latin America but also some differences between the common law and the civil law systems, and how to explain in Spanish some American legal terms and concepts that do not exist in Latin American legal systems. There will be guest lecturers from both the U.S. and Latin America who will bring a range of perspectives to the course. II. Attendance, Participation and Grades Attendance is required and your participation will be fundamental to take the final examination. There will be a final essay examination and three short papers, written in Spanish, that will be required during the semester. Enrollment will be limited to twenty students. III. Assignments A. Readings Readings will be assigned from M&P The Civil Law Tradition (John Henry Merryman, Rogelio Perez-Perdomo, Third Edition 2007), C&L Spanish-English Compendium of Law (Contreras & Leutwyler), and ML Mexican Law (Sthephen Zamora, Jose Ramon Cossio, Leonel Pereznieto, Jose Roldan-Xopa, David Lopez, 2004). I may distribute additional materials. B. Group Presentations Students will be required to prepare and present in class two group presentations in Spanish on assigned problems. STUDENTS WHO TOOK SPANISH FOR LAWYERS IN SPRING 2008 ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THIS CLASS; DUPLICATIVE COURSE.

Instructors

Headshot of Munoz Ruiz, Marco M Munoz Ruiz, Marco M
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